Thursday, October 29, 2009

The eyes of America are on Virginia's gubernatorial race

The eyes of America are on Virginia in these closing days of Election 2009, watching to see if the Commonwealth that voted for Barack Obama in November 2008 will vote in the Republicans for the top three leadership spots in 2009.

Karl Rove's Wall Street Journal column today talks about the importance of the races in Virginia and New Jersey ... and how a win in either or both could spook Congress:

Democratic enthusiasm for President Barack Obama's liberal domestic agenda—particularly for a government-run health insurance program—could wane after the results of the gubernatorial elections next Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey. GOP victories in either state will tell Democrats in red states and districts that support for Obama's policies is risky to their political health.The more significant is the open race for governor in Virginia, a purple state. The Washington Post poll released Monday showed 55% support for Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell and 44% for Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds. The president is trying to reverse these numbers by stumping the state for Mr. Deeds.

Mr. McDonnell has relentlessly focused on the economy, transportation and education. Mr. Deeds tried to make the race about abortion and his opponent's supposed animus toward working women. But Mr. McDonnell understood that anti-Obama, anti-Washington sentiment was not enough to win and bent the contest back to jobs, roads and schools. He also has a good ground game to turn out the vote, which the GOP hasn't done for too many years in Virginia.

He goes on to say that a win by Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli, along with pickups in the General Assembly, could be a big smack up-side the head to national Democrats.

Not one single person I know has slowed down in light of all the positive polls for our GOP team. Everyone is running until they are across the finish line and, when we cross that, all hope to look around and find that Republicans won big in Virginia. Losses in recent years are too vivid for anyone to take it for granted that we will win.